The one and only reason I would ever consider watching a film about a "bike messenger in trouble" is JGL. I have a man crush on him and will watch him do absolutely anything. It has a lot to do with how he has crafted his career on his terms. Indie film star, writer, producer, and he chooses roles extremely wise. I don't know who gives him advice, if anyone, but he never misses. He will eventually, but for now, he is at the top of his game. On to the film. It is a VERY well directed film, and with me, that one aspect holds a lot of water. It really is reminiscent of Nick of Time with Johnny Depp. It starts in the middle, flashes back an hour, plays catch up, and then finishes strong. The title is a bit of a double entendre. The "Premium Rush" is the reason Wilee (JGL) is a NY City bike messenger, and it is also a delivery option a customer may choose from Wilee's company. When Wilee is given an envelope to deliver within 90 minutes he doesn't think twice. He doesn't have to be told it's an important package, he treats every package the same. He is more prideful than stupid, and he is very stupid. He treats life like a ride, and if you slow down, you may as well die. Ironically, this is the situation he is unknowingly thrust into. He is given a package that comes with consequences. The film does a great job of keeping us guessing to the end game. What is the package, and why is it important? This does not concern Wilee....at first. He quickly realizes whatever it is could cost him his life. A fast paced action thriller that is extremely enjoyable, and Michael Shannon in the villain role was a perfect cast. This is the most I have enjoyed him ever, aside from Boardwalk Empire of course. Premium Rush never slows down, and the visuals, stunts, and foreshadowing by Wilee through the intersections are so much fun to watch. Especially when he gets hit by multiple cars and even a baby stroller in his visions. Please don't let my rating deter you from giving JGL a couple hours of your life. I don't want to undersell it, and I don't want my bias for JGL to give it unjust due. I know this film did really well on RT, however, I am not sure it is anything to write home about being the next BIG thing. Its biggest "It" factor is the direction, and that alone sets it well above mediocre. I am rating it on the High end of Awesome, and the Low end of Phenomenal, so...
NBM rates Premium Rush - Awesonomenal
A film that I was DYING to see, quickly turned into an "eh" moment, that then transformed into little desire. I should have gone with my first instinct. While not perfect by any means, it was FUN. A great development of character by a man I tend to hate. Oliver Stone has never made a great film. You start film dropping and I will argue to the death. I do not enjoy his work, and while this film had Stone nuances, it was actually great. To be honest, it is filled with great performances, but Aaron Johnson stole the show. He was even better than Taylor Kitsch, who I tend to like, even though 90% of his films have been considered flops. Savages follows 2 drug dealers on the top of their profession. They sell the best product, and they move tons of it. When they are "Offered" a deal to go into a distributorship partnership, it seems to good to be true. Hmmm, that usually means it is. When the dealing boys deny their Mexican buyers and "spit" on the them to boot. This gets very, very ugly for these guys. Then it gets worse. What is worse than the threat of death? Threatening to kill their girlfriend. That's right. Singular, as in they have the same Girlfriend? Exactly. O (Blake Lively) is their joint girlfriend. Weird, right? Either way, the dynamic delivered works really well. When threats come down, it is better to be on the same page with your cohorts than be divided. She is the catalyst that gives both these Men a no holds barred, balls to the wall, no care for themselves mentality. Now, I know why people hated it. All anyone has to do is read 5 reviews, and 4 of them will mention the ending. I get it, but the ending did not ruin anything for me. A movie that is truly enjoyable can't really be ruined by the ending. It may be tarnished, but not ruined. The entire film keeps us guessing and it is extremely interesting. I would have liked at least one more really good action scene, but there is very little wrong with this film from beginning to end. Don't let all of the wishy washy, mixed reviews deter you. If you wanna see, by all means, watch it. It is worth it.
NBM rates Savages - Awesome
Talk about a smack in the face. A good, adrenaline fueled kick to the proverbial nuts if you will. In today's day and age of CG action and green screen blasphemy, Tom Cruise gives us an extremely welcome Christmas gift with his new actioner, Jack Reacher. I never read the books, but I am well aware of the huffing going on about Cruise placing himself in the lead role. Sure Cruise is good and can be great, but the Reacher character is a 6 foot 5 inch, 250 pound behemoth of a man, who uses those particular physical traits to instill fear and intimidation into anyone who sees him. At 5'7", Cruise is hardly intimidating. However, after seeing how he acts in certain situations, I did become intimidated by him. Let me also say a little something about what I expected through trailers, and what was delivered. I expected a hard nosed action film about a vagabond who paved his own path and nothing more. I had no idea this film would lie smack dab in the heart of my favorite genre, Thriller. It is a great thriller. Instead of a whodunnit?, we get more of a Why do it? It kicks off pretty quickly and has you wanting more in a hurry. It had absolutely no CG, and one of the best car chase scenes in the last 10 years, and maybe a top 10 chase scene of all time in that Chevelle. It was a standard chase that was anything but ordinary according to how Hollywood usually does things these days. It all goes to the Director. The Direction of this scene was Masterful. The Direction of the entire film was insanely great, but this chase scene sets this film apart from other similar films. I didn't want it to end, and neither did my companions. Except for maybe Melissa F., who was more interested in digging into that cracky, crinkly plastic bag of Goobers (I think they were Goobers) than watching Jack destroy other men on screen in a very tactical way, I think they were as enthralled as I was. I also want to commend Tom Cruise on his impeccable timing and delivery of hilarious one liners that, for all intents and purposes, was able to eliminate any need for a crappy comic relief character. He did both jobs to perfection, and I already want to watch it again. The film was pretty flawless, and then who shows up? Robert Duvall. A man among men. Cole Trickle's crew chief of yesteryear. Those two have a chemistry unmatched by many, and though it was a bit role, maybe 20 minutes, it was very memorable, and really put the icing on the cake. I cannot wait for a sequel and I hope they go with my Brother's idea for a title. "Jack Reacher Round 2. Read it fast and out loud. You'll get it.
NBM rates Jack Reacher - Phenomenal
